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How-To Geek

GEEK TRIVIA

What Distinguishes Venus and Uranus From All Other Planets In Our Solar System?

Temperature Extremes

Magnetospheres

Rotation Direction

Iron Cores

Answer: Rotation Direction

Despite wildly different temperatures, atmospheric conditions, and compositions, there’s something the majority of planets in our Solar System have in common: rotational direction. Every planet in the Solar System orbits the sun in a counter-clockwise direction and almost every planet also rotates on its axis in a counter-clockwise direction. Every planet except Venus and Uranus that is (and, honorarily mentioned despite being demoted to a dwarf planet/planetoid several years ago, Pluto). The rotation of Venus and Uranus is completely counter to that of Earth and known as “retrograde rotation”.

If Earth had a matching rotational pattern, the Sun would rise in the West and set in the East.

Doesn't Uranus also rotate on it's side? Strange days and years as sometimes the northern (arbitrary designation) hemisphere is in total darkness and sometimes the southern hemisphere. Sometimes it's axis points along it's orbit and sometimes toward or away from the Sun and all points in between.

Actually, I'm glad Earth rotates the way it does. Just think of all the trouble it would have caused if the explorers of the New World kept traveling into the sunset. California would never have been discovered!